Banengi abantu eZimbabwe abatshayela uhulumende ihlombe ngomthetho osanda kwethulwa nguMongameli Emmerson Mnangagwa owokukhuphula iminyaka yomntwana ongaya emacansini isiku kwelitshumi lasithupha – 16 isiyafika kwelitshumi lasitshiyangalombili – 18.
Kodwa abalwela amalungelo abantwana bathi loba umthetho lo umuhle, kumele abantu bedonse ndawonye ukuze kulondolozwe ilungelo labantwana.
Umthetho weStatutory Instrument 2 of 2024 owethulwe nguMnangagwa ukhangelelwe ukuba uzakuba engwalweni zemithetho yelizwe okwenyanga eziyisithupha kuphela. Idale lephalamende lifanele ukuba liwulolonge ubiselwe njalo kumongameli ozawupasisa ukuba ube ngumthetho ogcweleyo.
Okwamanye iziqondiso zomthetho lo zikubeka sobala ukuba umuntu uzakwephula iziqondiso lezi ulakho ukuvalelwa entilongweni okweminyaka elitshumi. Igqwetha elilwela ilungelo likazulu lizimele uMnu. Xolani Ngwenya uchasisa ukuba umthetho lo utshoni.
“NgoNkwenkwezi womnyaka odluleyo, idale leConstitutional Court lafaka isinqumo sokuthi idale lephalamende kwakumele lilolonge umthetho othi umntwana oleminyaka elitshumi lasithupha uyenelisa ukwenza ezamacansini, ukuthi uvumele labo abaleminyaka elitshumi lasitshiyagalombili ukuthi benelisa ukwenza lokhu, njengoba isisekelo sombuso sisithi wonke umuntu ophansi kweminyaka engu18, engumntwana. Iphalamende kayenelisanga ukwenza lokhu, yikho umongameli wafaka umthetho omunje, ukuvikela abantwana. Ngibona ungumthetho olungele abantwana.”
Isakhamuzi sakoBulawayo, uNkosikazi Barbara Magigwana, uthi muhle kakhulu umthetho owethulwe nguhulumende.
“Ngiyawamukela sibili umthetho lowu ngoba ulakho ukwehlisa inani labantwana abazithwala basasebancane, ukubuya kubafake engozini kwezempilakahle. Lathi njengomphakathi kumele sibambe indima yethu, singabafuqeli khatshana abantwabethu. Masithi umntwana ongakafiki iminyaka engu18 usekhombile, ephume lomngane wakhe ephuze ukuphenduka endlini; njongomzali usumxotsha usithi kabuyele lapho avela khona. Siyabe sisithi aye ngaphi? Masitshiyeni umkhuba omunje, kodwa sikhulumisane labo abantwabethu ukwenzela ukuthi bengayendi bebancane.”
Osakhulayo njalo eyisifundi seAfrica University, uNkosikazi Sibongumusa Ncube, uthi yebo umthetho usukhona kodwa kumele ugcwalisiswe ukuze izigilamkhuba ezihlukumeza abantwana zibolele emajele.
“Njengesiwe, silohlupho lokuduma kokuhlukumeza abantwana lokubadlwengula, ikakhulu abesifazane. Leli nyathelo elithethweyo liqakathekile ekunqandeni ukuhlukunyezwa kwabantwana, lokuphakamisa kanye lokuvukela amalungelo abo. Kulithemba lethu ukuthi umthetho lo omutsha uzalandelwa, abawephulayo bagwetshiswe ngokufanele.”
Okwenziwe nguhulumende kunconywe njalo nguMnu. Tajudeen Oyewale, okhokhela inhlanganiso yeUNICEF kwele Zimbabwe.
“Siyakwazi ukuthi umthetho wokuthi abantwana abaphansi kweminyaka engu18 bengayendi, ubukhona. Akade kusilela yiwo lo umthetho osubekiwe, okubeka sobala ukuthi lakho ukuya emacansini lomntwana oleminyaka engakedluli istshumi lasitshiyangalombili, licala. Ukuhambelana kwemithetho leyi imibili kwenza ukuthi amalungelo abantwana alokwenza ngezecansi, athole isisindo.”
Ingcwethi ecubungula indaba zabatsha njalo ofundisa ekolitshini leLupane State University, uMnu. Mbulisi Ndlovu, uthi umthetho lo kawusoze umise ukuhlukunyezwa kwamankazana kuphela, kodwa labafana.
“Kulezinsuku siyazi ukuthi bakhona omama abadala abasexwalile abalala labafana abancane. Labo bayabotshwa ngomthetho lowu, nxa abafana laba bengakafiki iminyaka engu18. Ngobona ungumthetho olungileyo elizweni. Umphakathi wethu ulengqobe yokufundisa abantwana ukuthi bengangenani lezemacansini besesebancane. Khona kuyabe kujahweni; asibatshiyeni bafunde, bekhule engqondweni, ukwenzela ukuthi nxa sebengena kwezecansi, bayabe sebekwazi abakwenzayo ngokugcweleyo.”
Umphathintambo obona ngezemithetho, uMnu. Ziyambi Ziyambi, utshele iStudio 7 ukuba idale lephalamende lizalungisa umthetho osekela lokhu okwethulwe nguMnangagwa phansi kwamandla awaphiwa yisisekelo sombuso awePresidential Powers. Abakholo lwesipostoli baziwa ngokutshada lokutshadisa abantwana abaphansi kweminyaka elitshumi lasithupha.